Amid concerns of dangerously elevated lead levels in the reusable grocery bags many earth-conscious consumers have been using for several years, the Earthwise Bag Company Inc. and the Green Bag Company Inc. announced that regular, independent testing has confirmed their reusable grocery bags have consistently met federal standards.

With advances in nanostructured devices, lower operating temperatures, and the use of an abundant fuel source and cheaper materials, Harvard researchers are increasingly optimistic about the commercial viability of solid-oxide fuel cells.

Duke economist Martin Smith suggests the agency should also consider the potential health and environmental effects of salmon production that might stem from the fish's faster growth and less need for feed.

Researchers from Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment have received a $3.4 million grant from the Department of the Interior to study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on piping plovers -- shorebirds that have been listed as threatened since 1986.

To date, 1,627 sites have been listed on the NPL. There have been 346 sites deleted from the NPL with 1,281 sites remaining. With the proposal of nine new sites and one site being withdrawn from proposal, there are 62 proposed sites awaiting final agency action: 57 in the general Superfund section and five in the federal facilities section.